From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
From that time Jesus began His public preaching in Galilee after John was imprisoned and after settling in Capernaum, calling all to turn from sin because the kingdom of heaven was near, continuing the call John had given. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy that great light sprang up to those sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death in Zebulon and Naphtali, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The kingdom announced is a kingdom of grace surpassing all earthly kingdoms, whose gospel pledges pardon, protection, health and salvation to its loyal believing subjects, while those who held it to be the immortal kingdom of glory taught that at hand means it was the next universal kingdom to come. His preaching was joined at once with teaching in the synagogues and healing all sickness and disease, and with calling fishermen by the sea to leave nets, ship and father immediately to follow Him and become fishers of men. That same call to repent and prepare for His kingdom presses upon everyone in every age, and is to be carried earnestly and widely to those in darkness in cities and needy fields everywhere as the last message of mercy and warning to a perishing world.
Setting and Prophecy Fulfilled
From that time marks the opening of public preaching in Galilee after John was imprisoned and after settling in Capernaum. After settling in Capernaum Jesus began to preach throughout Galilee that people must repent because the kingdom of heaven was near, teaching and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. His preaching and healing in that beginning showed His mission to bring salvation and life to humanity.
The beginning came after rejection in Nazareth and leaving Nazareth to dwell in Capernaum upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. Capernaum was made a center of labor, where He taught on Sabbaths to gathered crowds, after opposition in Jerusalem made it unsafe to remain there. He began this work in Capernaum and the surrounding Galilean region, choosing a missionary field others did not recognize as especially advantageous, and His work beyond His own city sets an example for ministry to others.
The beginning also came after coming out of the wilderness of temptation to call people to repent because the kingdom of heaven was near. It followed years of simple life at Nazareth with His parents, working with Joseph at the carpenter's trade without mysterious seclusion, extravagance or display. From that time He went forth proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and to the close of His work He kept the same simplicity of habit.
That Galilean ministry fulfills Isaiah's prophecy that great light sprang up to people sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death. The light reached the land of Zebulon and Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, when Jesus began to preach repentance because the kingdom of heaven is near. His ministry there among people described as living in darkness brought them the light of truth.
The verse stands at the opening of His work of teaching in synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all sickness and disease. His preaching of the kingdom was joined to teaching and healing, as He brought spiritual light and relief to suffering humanity. His preaching and opening of Scripture belonged with a ministry that restored suffering people to health, for healing was part of His work as Restorer and prepared the way for restoration of the soul. This account in Matthew 4:13-25 was the disciples' first experience of the ministry of Christ as the great Healer, including His teaching ministry in Capernaum where Isaiah's prophecy of light shining in Galilee was fulfilled.
Meaning of the Message
Jesus took up the call to turn from sin because the reign of heaven was near, continuing the call John the Baptist had given to repent and confess sins. Proclaimed throughout the land, that announcement drew the attention of all classes and stirred ambitious hopes that He might be the expected Deliverer. The message was the very same message of repentance that John had borne, yet while John had preached it in the wilderness Christ carried it among the people where they were. In doing so He encircled the race with His long human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, uniting finite man to the infinite God and connecting earth with heaven.
The kingdom announced was a kingdom of grace to be recognized as surpassing all earthly kingdoms. Obedience to its laws brings health and prosperity. Its gospel pledges pardon to those who believe in Christ and confess their sins, and protection and salvation to its loyal subjects. The immortal kingdom of glory was proclaimed as at hand, where at hand did not mean the kingdom was then set up but meant it was the next universal kingdom to come. This is just as Persia was at hand in the time of Babylon, Greece was at hand in the time of Media and Persia, and Rome was at hand in the time of Greece.
The nearness of the kingdom calls everyone in every age to repent and seek the Lord. Christ came preaching preparation for His kingdom and calling for a clear, decided testimony. His example in presenting this truth is a duty for His people.
Call to Follow and Proclaim
From that time His preaching was joined at once with calling fishermen by the Sea of Galilee to follow Him and become fishers of men. Simon called Peter and Andrew and then James and John had minds under Christ's influence, so at His call they came right to His side and immediately left their nets, their ship, and their father to follow Him without question. He desired these fishermen to learn of Him and to become fellow workers with Him in saving souls, and He calls each person today in the same way to respond immediately as they did, leaving all and following Him. Their call to repentance was thus accompanied by a call to follow Him, illustrating the work His followers are to continue by working in harmony with Him.
Their immediate response requires walking by faith and obeying at once when the Master calls to a work, without waiting until all means are in hand, as faithfully as the disciples left their vocations to follow Him. He chose His helpers from the lower ranks of life, with His first disciples being humble fishermen of Galilee, and to the close of His work He kept the same simplicity of habit with which He went forth proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. He taught so simply that little children understood Him and could repeat His words, so that all He said and did had the charm of simplicity.
His work beyond His own city sets an example for ministry to others, bringing the light of truth to people described as living in darkness. Just such a work is to be carried on in the present time by those who will work in harmony with Christ. If those who claim to be children of God make an entire consecration of themselves to Christ, God will use them to accomplish a good work with the mighty influence of His power with them.
The verse defines the work every minister of the gospel will be blessed in doing as ministering as the minister of men to those who are ignorant and out of the way in the highways and hedges and in the cities everywhere. It is to be done by teaching the message of present truth in simplicity and carrying it into all the highways and byways and needy portions of the harvest field instead of building up large centers in a few places.
The verse gives words of hope for those who sit in darkness and a call to instruct those in the shadow of death in the truths of the gospel while nearly the whole world lies in wickedness. His message brought the light of gospel hope to people sitting in darkness and the shadow of death in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The urgent call to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand is to be proclaimed earnestly and widely as part of the last message of mercy and warning to a perishing world. It is the message to be carried in all parts of the globe to all nationalities to prepare a people to stand before God, brought directly and personally before wealthy men and women, great men and rulers, and all to whom earthly treasure and means have been entrusted, including as words of warning to those in the highways.
His preaching of the kingdom was joined to teaching and healing, as He brought spiritual light and relief to suffering humanity. His preaching and opening of Scripture belonged with a ministry that restored suffering people to health; healing was part of His work as Restorer and prepared the way for the restoration of the soul. His preaching and healing showed His mission to bring salvation and life to humanity.
From that time Jesus began His public preaching in Galilee after John was imprisoned and after settling in Capernaum, calling all to turn from sin because the kingdom of heaven was near, continuing the call John had given. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy that great light sprang up to those sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death in Zebulon and Naphtali, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The kingdom announced is a kingdom of grace surpassing all earthly kingdoms, whose gospel pledges pardon, protection, health and salvation to its loyal believing subjects, while those who held it to be the immortal kingdom of glory taught that at hand means it was the next universal kingdom to come. His preaching was joined at once with teaching in the synagogues and healing all sickness and disease, and with calling fishermen by the sea to leave nets, ship and father immediately to follow Him and become fishers of men. That same call to repent and prepare for His kingdom presses upon everyone in every age, and is to be carried earnestly and widely to those in darkness in cities and needy fields everywhere as the last message of mercy and warning to a perishing world.
Setting and Prophecy Fulfilled
From that time marks the opening of public preaching in Galilee after John was imprisoned and after settling in Capernaum. After settling in Capernaum Jesus began to preach throughout Galilee that people must repent because the kingdom of heaven was near, teaching and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. His preaching and healing in that beginning showed His mission to bring salvation and life to humanity.
The beginning came after rejection in Nazareth and leaving Nazareth to dwell in Capernaum upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. Capernaum was made a center of labor, where He taught on Sabbaths to gathered crowds, after opposition in Jerusalem made it unsafe to remain there. He began this work in Capernaum and the surrounding Galilean region, choosing a missionary field others did not recognize as especially advantageous, and His work beyond His own city sets an example for ministry to others.
The beginning also came after coming out of the wilderness of temptation to call people to repent because the kingdom of heaven was near. It followed years of simple life at Nazareth with His parents, working with Joseph at the carpenter's trade without mysterious seclusion, extravagance or display. From that time He went forth proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and to the close of His work He kept the same simplicity of habit.
That Galilean ministry fulfills Isaiah's prophecy that great light sprang up to people sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death. The light reached the land of Zebulon and Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, when Jesus began to preach repentance because the kingdom of heaven is near. His ministry there among people described as living in darkness brought them the light of truth.
The verse stands at the opening of His work of teaching in synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all sickness and disease. His preaching of the kingdom was joined to teaching and healing, as He brought spiritual light and relief to suffering humanity. His preaching and opening of Scripture belonged with a ministry that restored suffering people to health, for healing was part of His work as Restorer and prepared the way for restoration of the soul. This account in Matthew 4:13-25 was the disciples' first experience of the ministry of Christ as the great Healer, including His teaching ministry in Capernaum where Isaiah's prophecy of light shining in Galilee was fulfilled.
Meaning of the Message
Jesus took up the call to turn from sin because the reign of heaven was near, continuing the call John the Baptist had given to repent and confess sins. Proclaimed throughout the land, that announcement drew the attention of all classes and stirred ambitious hopes that He might be the expected Deliverer. The message was the very same message of repentance that John had borne, yet while John had preached it in the wilderness Christ carried it among the people where they were. In doing so He encircled the race with His long human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, uniting finite man to the infinite God and connecting earth with heaven.
The kingdom announced was a kingdom of grace to be recognized as surpassing all earthly kingdoms. Obedience to its laws brings health and prosperity. Its gospel pledges pardon to those who believe in Christ and confess their sins, and protection and salvation to its loyal subjects. The immortal kingdom of glory was proclaimed as at hand, where at hand did not mean the kingdom was then set up but meant it was the next universal kingdom to come. This is just as Persia was at hand in the time of Babylon, Greece was at hand in the time of Media and Persia, and Rome was at hand in the time of Greece.
The nearness of the kingdom calls everyone in every age to repent and seek the Lord. Christ came preaching preparation for His kingdom and calling for a clear, decided testimony. His example in presenting this truth is a duty for His people.
Call to Follow and Proclaim
From that time His preaching was joined at once with calling fishermen by the Sea of Galilee to follow Him and become fishers of men. Simon called Peter and Andrew and then James and John had minds under Christ's influence, so at His call they came right to His side and immediately left their nets, their ship, and their father to follow Him without question. He desired these fishermen to learn of Him and to become fellow workers with Him in saving souls, and He calls each person today in the same way to respond immediately as they did, leaving all and following Him. Their call to repentance was thus accompanied by a call to follow Him, illustrating the work His followers are to continue by working in harmony with Him.
Their immediate response requires walking by faith and obeying at once when the Master calls to a work, without waiting until all means are in hand, as faithfully as the disciples left their vocations to follow Him. He chose His helpers from the lower ranks of life, with His first disciples being humble fishermen of Galilee, and to the close of His work He kept the same simplicity of habit with which He went forth proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. He taught so simply that little children understood Him and could repeat His words, so that all He said and did had the charm of simplicity.
His work beyond His own city sets an example for ministry to others, bringing the light of truth to people described as living in darkness. Just such a work is to be carried on in the present time by those who will work in harmony with Christ. If those who claim to be children of God make an entire consecration of themselves to Christ, God will use them to accomplish a good work with the mighty influence of His power with them.
The verse defines the work every minister of the gospel will be blessed in doing as ministering as the minister of men to those who are ignorant and out of the way in the highways and hedges and in the cities everywhere. It is to be done by teaching the message of present truth in simplicity and carrying it into all the highways and byways and needy portions of the harvest field instead of building up large centers in a few places.
The verse gives words of hope for those who sit in darkness and a call to instruct those in the shadow of death in the truths of the gospel while nearly the whole world lies in wickedness. His message brought the light of gospel hope to people sitting in darkness and the shadow of death in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The urgent call to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand is to be proclaimed earnestly and widely as part of the last message of mercy and warning to a perishing world. It is the message to be carried in all parts of the globe to all nationalities to prepare a people to stand before God, brought directly and personally before wealthy men and women, great men and rulers, and all to whom earthly treasure and means have been entrusted, including as words of warning to those in the highways.
His preaching of the kingdom was joined to teaching and healing, as He brought spiritual light and relief to suffering humanity. His preaching and opening of Scripture belonged with a ministry that restored suffering people to health; healing was part of His work as Restorer and prepared the way for the restoration of the soul. His preaching and healing showed His mission to bring salvation and life to humanity.